Kalidou Koulibaly believes Nicolas Jackson shouldn’t shy away from thinking big. The former Chelsea defender says his compatriot has what it takes to eventually land the Ballon d’Or, provided the mindset is there to match the talent.
Softfootball gathered that Koulibaly has been actively encouraging that self-belief in private conversations with the Chelsea forward. Koulibaly said:
Nico Jackson has to believe he can be world class. All the players who have won the Ballon d’Or believed they could. So you have to put this in Nico’s head.
He was careful to frame the ambition the right way, insisting it isn’t about ego. He said:
I don’t tell him to be selfish and ignore his teammates, but he has to think about the Ballon d’Or, If you put this image in his head, he can achieve it. And that’s what I tell him all the time.
For Jackson, the belief is already being planted. What happens with it is up to him.
